


An Ultimatum

by ClockworkJamboree



Category: BioShock Infinite
Genre: F/M, Spoilers, Tagged only for description of dead Booker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-02
Updated: 2013-06-02
Packaged: 2017-12-13 18:11:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/827292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClockworkJamboree/pseuds/ClockworkJamboree
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Robert and Rosalind look down at their latest failure.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Ultimatum

_My brother has presented me with an ultimatum…_

“How many times have we been at this now?”  
“One hundred twenty-two, I believe.”  
“And you still want to keep going?”

Robert simply nodded as he looked down at the scene before him. A man, or the remains thereof, lay broken on the ground. Bones jutted out at awkward angles from under bruised and bloodied skin, torn clothes and broken limbs splayed across the ground. It was as though he had been crushed by a truck, or, in this case, a Songbird. 

A sudden chill caused both the Luteces to glance upward to where the roof would have been, had it not been torn off as the Songbird made its escape, along with its prize. They had seen this a few times now, Elizabeth could not soothe the strange mix of man and machine before it killed Booker. Granted, it had never been quite as grizzly as this, with Songbird generally preferring to throw the man off of something instead of crushing him. 

Of course, this was still a vast improvement over the time Booker had not been looking where he was going as he first entered Columbia and simply dropped right off the edge. They had both felt second hand embarrassment from that unfortunate case.

“You know, we could end it here. We don’t know how many times it will take before he succeeds. It could be the next try, or it could be the next hundred. Or the next thousand. This is verging on an obsession, brother. We do not belong to this time, nor do we belong to any, we-“  
“-Caused this. Countless deaths, even our own. A world on fire. You were not the one who had to walk into his office and take the child.”

_...if we do not send the girl back from where we brought her, he and I must part._

Rosalind gave a small sigh in response, glancing at the broken Booker. One hundred twenty-two. The number of ruined universes, the number of dead Bookers, the number of failed experiments. If nothing else, the ‘failed experiment’ part bothered her. Yet she couldn’t see a way to succeed. Booker always failed, Songbird was, unfortunately, a constant. They could very well do this for all eternity with the same result.

Robert closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. It didn’t matter how long it took, they did have all the time in the world, after all. Though he had to admit, he could think of worse situations to be in, at least he had Rosalind. After all this time, he wasn’t even sure if he could follow through with leaving her should she give up on their ‘experiment’. Though the threat was there, it hung between them and with each failure he could see Rosalind’s impatience, and perhaps even the fear at the thought of being alone again should she say she’d had enough. 

_Where he sees an empty page, I see King Lear._

Silence hung between them for a little while as they both were caught up in their thoughts. Though different, they both seemed to reach the same conclusion as, if on cue, they smiled at each other. Robert offered his hand and Rosalind took it without missing a beat. 

“You know what they say. One hundred twenty-third time is the charm.”  
“Who says that?”  
“I did. Just now.”  
“Ah. Right you are, brother.”

_But he is my brother, so I shall play my part, knowing it shall all end in tears._


End file.
